SYDNEY: Global roamer Samantha Reding has returned home to launch her womenswear brand down under.
First launched in autumn/winter 2007, the Luisa Fredrica label specialises in contemporary designs produced from luxe fabrications such as milk, bamboo and organic silks and cotton.
Reding released her debut collection to select retailers in Bahrain and Dubai, where she was based in a public relations role for the luxury retail sector.
“The label just took off there and that’s when I decided I really wanted to see it grow,” she said. “There’s so many brands that operate in Dubai, they liked the idea I was offering something different.”
Reding showcased her spring/summer 2010 collection to local buyers at trade fair Fashion Exposed earlier this month. It featured 24 unique pieces, including day and evening dresses, a jumpsuit, boyfriend jacket, monochromatic mini-skirt and a pair of relaxed, slouchy harem pants.
Along with signature fabrics such as silk and wool, Redding sourced an unusual milk blend from European suppliers.
“They take the protein from milk, spin it into a yarn and mix it with cashmere. It’s a really beautiful, soft fabric for summer.”
She also collaborated with a local fabric designer on two exclusive prints for the collection. One featured a kaleidoscope pattern of purple, greys and grey blues while the other was “like five spiderwebs tangled together” in a sharp palette of black and white.
Other statement pieces included a gold metallic mini-dress in silk, a peacock purple tank and a black mini-skirt which featured white, rouched fabric to one side.
The range is entirely manufactured in Australia and will retail from $100 to $500. Reding said she hoped to secure around 10 stockists for the first Australian range.
The Adelaide-born Reding has trained both locally and abroad, including the prestigious Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London. She has lived in England, the Middle East and Asia, and currently splits her time between Australia and Singapore.